Fire-escape apparatus.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABBAM L. PLUSH, or rmLAnELrnIa-rENNsYLvAmL FIRE-ESCAPE APPARATUS.

Application filed December 21, 1914. Serial No. 878,256.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABRAM L. Pnusrna citizen of the United States,-resid1ng in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fire-Escape Apparatus, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to fire-escape apparatus and more particularly to a cabinet for holding and concealing the apparatus when not in use.

The'object of the invention is to provide a cabinet or receptacle adapted to be se cured in fixed position adjacent either side of a window or like opening in sucha man+ ner that the life saving appliance isreadilyaccessible for use in emergencies but at other times the entire apparatus is hidden from view. 'In devices of'this character as" heretofore constructed, it has been customary to secure a supporting hook to the woodwork or wall adjacent the opening, said hook having one end of the escape device secured thereto while the remainder of the device is suitably coiled within a receptacle located in the vicinity of the supportinghook. In such devices the hook support is entirely visible outside of the receptacle, making it necessary to expose also a portion of the cable and thereby presenting an.

unsightly as well .as cumbersome appearance. It is one object of my invention to provide a cabinet of attractive appearance which is adapted not only to conceal the entire life saving appliance but also to in close the supporting device for the end'of the cable.

It-has as a further object to provide a life belt carrier adapted for sliding movement in either direction upon a suspended cable, the said carrier being controlled by friction which is regulated at' will by the user of the device.

It further consists of other novel features of construction all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

For the purpose of illustrating my in vention, I have shown in the accompanying drawings one form thereof which is at pres-'- ment and organization of these instrument-alities as hereinshownand described.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 represents a front elevation of the receptacle'showing the lid open to ex-.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Novi 13, 7

pose the interior construction of the receptacle; Fig. 2 represents a section on line 22- of Fig. 1; Fig. Srepreserits a frontelevation of the friction controlled carrier embodying one I feature of my invention;

Fig. & represents aside elevation of the same.

corresponding parts. 1

1 deslgnates the body portion of thecabinet or receptacle of my invention, the same Similar numerals of reference indicate having a door 2 hingedior pivoted thereto in any suitable manner and adaptedto form a closure for the body portion 1. The cabinet is substantially of elongated rectangular;

form, thedoor of-which is preferably semicylind'rical in form to give a finished appearance to thecabinet aspwell as toinclose the'entireapparatus. 3 designates a pair of elongated slots, preferably located in the rear wall of thevbody portion and respectively ad acent its ends so that the cabinet may be'located at the right or left hand side of the window opening according to requirements.

It will therefore be-apparent that the slots 3 provide means for mounting the cabinet in a reversible manner, so that the cabinet may be positioned at either side of a window opening, while the door will open away from the window, allowing free unobstructed use of the rope and its adjuncts. Furthermore, by arranging the slots transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis" of the cabinet it is possible to adjust the cabinet laterally without moving. the fixture, thereby insuring proper relation of the cabinet and the window frame. I

4 designates a suitable fixturesuch as a hook fixed .to the wall or like convenient support and adapted'to retain and hold one end of the flexible escape cable 5, while the opposite end may be freely suspended outside the window or opening. The cabinet'is placed in its operative position by first positioning it, as indicated dotted lines in Fig. 1, so that the supporting fixture'4 may be inserted through the desired opening 3 and well within the body portion of the cabinet. The cabinet is now swung to its substantially vertical operative position and fixed to the wall by means of screws 6 or like fastening devices. In this position of the cabinet the flexible cable 5 may be at ing side bars 8 suitably spaced apart and connected by integral bridge pieces 9, a centrally disposed annular pulley 10 and intermediate bridge members 11. The parts 9 and 11 are preferably curved in'a suitable manner to form guidesurfaces for the cable 5 while the pulley 10 is suitably grooved for a similar purpose. It will be noted that theends of the carrier are respectively oifset with respect to each other in order to provide for one turn of the cable being taken about the pulley, whereby the frictional resistance to free sliding movement of the carrier upon the cable is materially increased. The carrier 7 is mounted upon the cable 5 by passing an end of the latter over one of the bridge pieces 9, next beneath the adjacent intermediate member l1 and then around the pulley 10 making one complete turn. The cable leaves'the opposite side of the carrier in the same manner, first passing under the intermediate member 11 and over the end piece 9. This construction afiords a simple and efiective means for slidably supporting the carrier upon the cable since the carrier is free to move along the cable under a weight suflicient to overcome the friction and the speed of its movement is controlled entirely by the automatic clamping action of the carrier. Thus, to increase the friction and retard the movement of the carrier the free end of the cable 5 is drawn taut while a slackening of the cable correspondingly decreases the friction and permits the carrier to run more freely, but in any event the friction is sufficient to allow the carrier to ride downward upon the cable under the weight of a person but not with suflicient speed to cause injury.

12 designates a belt looped through the opening of the pulley 10 in order to support a person from the carrier, the said belt being adjustable by means of the slip ring 13 carried thereon.

In the operation of the device the cabinet is, opened and the free end of the cable thrown out of the window. The user now adjusts the belt about the body under the arms, steps out of the window and is carried down the cable by the sliding action of the friction carrier. The downward movement may be accelerated by grasping the cable rior and are entirely below the carrier and causing the cable to slacken. In a similar manner the carrier may be stopped by pulling or causing the cable to tighten as will be understood. Since the carrieris adapted to slide in either direction upon the cable it will be apparent that the cable may be reversed end for end and thus provide ameans for successively lowering a number of people.

In cabinets as heretofore constructed it has been necessary to provide an opening in the side walls or ends to permit the passage of the cable for its attachment to the supporting fixture, thereby exposing the cableto Furthermore,

dust and dirt can freely circulate through the opening and collect within the cabinet, making it extremely unsanitary, while in addition insects and vermin find it desirable as a nesting place.- In my present invention the opening is closed by the cabinet seating against the wall or window casing, thus entirely closing the entrance to dampness, insects, or the like. My improved cabinet is therefore, in closed condition, a substantially air tight sealed compartment, adapted to protect the contents in a thorough and sanitary manner, Y Y t j It will now be apparent that I have devised a complete, unitary structure embodying a novel construction of a cabinet for use with a flexible fire-escape device, whereby the said deviceand its adjuncts are effectively protectedand concealed when not in use. In addition, the supporting fixtures for the escape cable enter the cabinet at the rear, thus cooperating with the cable on the inteinvisible in closed condition of the cabinet.

It will further be noted that the novel type i of friction carrier is so arranged and constructed as toautomatically slide upon the rope by gravity under the weight of an ordinary person and when in use it is unnecessary for the person to useeither hand to manipulate the rope during the descent or come to a complete stop. This is an extremely ad vised a novel and useful construction, which It will also be apparent that I have, de-

embodies the features of advantage enumeratedas desirable in the statement of the invent on and the above description, and while I have in the present instance shown and described the preferred embodiment thereof which has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

In a fire-escape apparatus, a supporting fixture, a cabinet having a fiat rear wall provided with an elongated aperture at each end transversely disposed with respect to the longitudinal axis of said cabinet, either aperture being adapted to receive said fixture and permit free lateral movement of the cabinet within limits, said apertures further providing for reversibly supporting said cabinet, a flexible cable secured to said fixture, a carrier mounted for sliding movement upon said cable and adapted to be controlled by friction, and a door for said cabinet adapted to close said receptacle whereby said escape apparatus is entirely concealed and efi'ectually protected.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing invention I hereunto set my hand this eighteenth day of December, 1914.

ABRAM L. PLUSH.

In the presence of C. H. WISSMANN, C. E. KLEINFELDER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner or Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

